1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ski boots having a rigid shell base, and which preferably allow for insertion of the foot from the rear, i.e., rear entry boots. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for tightly holding down the foot within the shell base and tightly enclosing the upper around the leg of the skier.
2. Description of Prior Art
Known ski boots comprise a rigid shell base on which an upper is journalled, at least in part, around a horizontal axis. The upper is generally composed of a rear spoiler and a cuff. The upper and the shell base contain an interior sock. The rear spoiler is itself journalled around a transverse horizontal axis connected to the upper or to the rigid shell base in a manner so as to be able to pivot rearwardly to allow for the introduction of the foot into the boot (actually the sock) from the rear in a forward movement.
For the insertion of the foot to occur in a manner which allows for efficient and proper skiing, as well as for the comfort of the skier, two essential functions must be assured. First, the heel of the skier must be blocked in position, and the foot must be held down in the boot by an interior tightening or hold-down means. Secondly, the upper must enclose the bottom of the skier's leg by securing the rear spoiler to the cuff. Often, at least to a certain extent, according to the state of the art, these two functions are achieved independently of one another, each by means of independent and distinct manipulation elements.
Thus, in German Patent No. A1 2 317 408, the tightening and hold down of the lower portion of the foot occurs by adjusting the closure of a front cuff which is journalled around a transverse axis of the shell base (not rigid in this case) or its equivalent, by means of a traction cable whose one end is connected to the front cuff. The enclosure and tightening around the lower portion of the leg are effected by pivoting a rear spoiler shut, which at the same time adds to the tension of the traction cable. The rear spoiler is secured onto the cuff by means of a conventional hooking closure apparatus.
In French Pat. No. 2,345,097, the hold down of the foot in the rigid shell base is achieved by a support element which is biased by a traction cable whose one end is integral with the rear spoiler by means of a pinion adjustment system. The closure of the shell base is performed by likewise acting on the tension of the cable in a fashion similar to that of the preceding case.
French Pat. No. 2,275,166 discloses a boot having a front insertion opening and lateral tightening flaps forming an open upper which is thus not of the rear insertion type. The holding down of the foot and the closure of the lateral flaps are effected by means of a traction element passing through guide elements and extending in an alternating manner from one side to the other of the opening separating the flaps. The end of the traction element is connected to a flap closure apparatus between the two flaps. The closure of the shell base around the lower leg is performed by a distinct and independent element which draws together the rear spoiler and the open upper constituted by the tightening flaps.
French Pat. No. 1,568,397 is very similar to the previous French patent in that it describes a conventional ski boot having flaps, and a hold down and flap closure apparatus, using a cable sliding within a sleeve. A boot is thus provided having an opening on the top of the foot, with front insertion, without rear spoiler nor cuff. The boot disclosed, therefore, does not provide means for the tight hold down of the foot in a rigid shell and the enclosure of the lower leg by an upper composed of a rear spoiler and a cuff.
French Pat. No. 1,408,646 likewise proposes a closure for a conventional ski boot having the usual flaps. In addition to the fact that the boot has a front insertion opening and does not have a journalled upper, the hold down of the foot occurs by a plurality of exterior traction cables cooperating with latch hooks, and the enclosure of the lower foot itself is accomplished by a similar and totally distinct and independent apparatus from the preceeding.
French Pat. No. 1,115,248 proposes a solution which is very similar to the preceding approach. However, in this solution a single manipulation element serves two functions. Yet, because the boot is not a boot having a rigid shell base with an upper having a cuff and a rear spoiler allowing for rear entry, the problems of tightly holding down the foot and enclosure of the upper around the lower portion of the foot do not really occur, and it cannot really be said that two functions are actually being accomplished. The proposed solution can thus not be seriously considered with boots of the type contemplated in the instant invention. The problem which is resolved by the boot of this patent is instead that of a city boot having an upper.
As can be seen from the state of the art as it appears from the above patents, the functions of holding down the foot to wedge the heel in the shell, and the enclosure of the bottom of the leg are not achieved by a single element having a single manipulation element in a rear entry ski boot with a rigid shell base and an upper having a cuff and a rear spoiler at least partially journalled on the shell base.